September 03, 2008
www.northfulton.com
FULTON COUNTY -- SAT scores released last week by The College Board show the Fulton County School System has the highest overall average in the metro Atlanta area, with six North Fulton high schools listed among the top 20 highest performing schools in the state out of 402 public high schools.
Overall, Fulton County's average SAT score of 1593 is 127 points higher than the state average (1466), and 82 points higher than the national average (1511). The top score possible on the SAT is 2400, based on three sections worth 800 points each. The 2008 test marks the 15th consecutive year that Fulton has maintained or improved its overall scores, although state scores dipped by six points.
"I'm pleased Fulton's scores continue to rise," said Fulton School Superintendent Cindy Loe. "It shows that our schools are preparing students for academic success beyond high school. Many of our schools have increased their scores, and we're studying their best practices to see how others might benefit."
Northview High School with an average of 1691 had the highest score in Fulton County and the third highest score in the state. Rounding out the top 20 in the state were Roswell (1677) in fifth, Milton (1677) and Chattahoochee (1677) tied at seventh place, Alpharetta (1658) at nine, and Centennial High (1633) at 16th in the state.
What makes the scores even more impressive is the number of students who took the test in Fulton County. Although the state's highest scoring high school was Davidson Magnet School in Richmond County with an SAT average of 1733, only 89 students took the test at that school, compared to the average of 463 students tested at each of the six North Fulton high schools.
College Board discourages state ranking
The College Board released the 2008 test scores with a caution to journalists to avoid ranking states based on scores alone. The board reasons that making comparisons based on scores alone does not take into account that some states test only a small percentage of students, while others, such as Georgia, have a high rate of participation which tends to lower the overall score.
"We've had a lot of requests from the media for a state ranking, but we are not presenting the data in that way [at this time]," said an official with the College Board.
But ranking is what the media does, with or without the blessing of the College Board. So based on scores alone, Georgia ranks 47th out of the 50 states. Taking into consideration only the 22 states which tested more than half of their graduating seniors, Georgia students don't fare much better; ranking 18th. Only students from the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maine and South Carolina ranked lower.
The SAT is the most widely taken standardized college admissions test in the US, with more than 1.5 million high school students taking the test in 2008. The ACT is the preferred test for many Midwestern states, with approximately 1.3 tests taken last year. In Georgia, about 38 percent of graduating seniors now take the ACT, compared with nearly 70 percent taking the SAT.
A look at the map of the US shows strong preference for the ACT among states in the mid-section of the country, with the SAT the preferred college test along both coasts.
Therefore, SAT scores from students taking the test in ACT-favored states such as South Dakota, where fewer than 300 students took the 2008 SAT, are generally high. The SAT score from South Dakota was 1,766, compared to the national average of 1511. The students taking the SAT tests are likely high-performing students headed to top colleges who are taking both tests.
Georgia tested more than 62,000 public, private and home-schooled students last year and had an overall SAT average of 1,466. Taking into consideration scores from public school students alone (51,591 tests) the average score drops slightly to 1453.
Though Georgia has improved its overall SAT score over the past several years, a 47th finish is nothing to brag about, say state officials, and the low scores demonstrate the need to continue the push for more rigorous standards, especially in math.
Officials with the Georgia Department of Education say it is expected the results on the SAT and all tests will improve as the state continues the implementation of its more rigorous curriculum and new graduation requirements. The new graduation requirement calls for all students to take four years of mathematics and science.
While there has been an incredible amount of criticism leveled at the state's new math curriculum, the low SAT math scores – 22 points below the national average – cannot be attributed to the change. The new math was not implemented at high school until this year, meaning it will be at least two years before students in the new math curriculum will take the SAT.
Even Georgia students who took higher level mathematics classes trailed the national average when compared to other advanced math students.
"Our mathematics scores are like an anchor – they are weighing us down and keeping us from moving up as a state," said State School Superintendent Kathy Cox. "I know the state's new mathematics curriculum and the graduation rule requirements will better prepare students for the SAT, for post-secondary education and for the world of work."
The State's Top 10
1. Davidson Magnet School (Richmond Co.) 1733
2. Walton High School (Cobb Co.) 1712
3. Northview High School 1691
4. Savannah Arts Academy 1681
5. Roswell High School 1677
6. Chamblee High School (Dekalb Co.) 1667
7. (tie) Chattahoochee High School 1667
8. Milton High School 1667
9. Alpharetta High School 1658
10. Columbus High School (Muskogee Co.) 1656
(Centennial High School came in at 16)
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